Al Horford has been in and out of the Celtics' lineup and was probable for tonight's contest, battling left knee soreness.

With Boston in need of a win to hold on to the No. 4 seed in the East, Horford powered through knowing how badly his team needed him.

And he delivered in a big way, notching his second career triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Horford has been vital to the Celtics success all season. He's missed three of the last six games and Boston lost all three contests in Horford's absence.

According to NBA.com, since the All-Star break the Celtics have a net rating of minus-12.8 when Horford is off the floor.

Their offensive rating of 111.4 with Horford on the court drops to 101.6 when he goes to the bench. Even more glaring is his impact on the defensive end, where the Celtics own a defensive rating of 104.2 with Horford on the court compared to 114.4 when he's off the floor.

He anchors the defence as a vocal leader and adds another dimension to the Celtics' offence as a pick-and-roll screener who can score from every level of the floor.